The present invention relates to a device for loading plastic sheet material into the mold of a molding press. A common practice nowadays in the vehicle body component industry is to mold parts from plastic sheet material, such as heat-setting fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin known as SMC, which is usually supplied in rolls. For each production part, the press is loaded with a number of sheets cut off the roll, and the size of which must correspond accurately to the part being produced. Normally, each load consists of at least two sheets, which must be loaded in a predetermined mutual position on a conveyor, from which they are subsequently transferred to the mold.
On known molding systems, the load is usually transferred using hand-operated fixtures, so that accurate positioning of the load inside the mold is not only time-consuming but also dangerous in terms of the safety of the operator.